1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system, and particularly, to a cartridge which forms part of the system, for inducing air flow past a product which may be vaporized in order to aid distribution of the product into the environment.
Many products which are desirably distributed in their environment such as room deodorizers, insecticides, germicides and the like are now manufactured in solid form, for example, as a gel. Such products in solid or liquid form have also been impregnated in porous materials. In both cases, the products are released into the environment in which they are exposed by a vaporization process such as evaporation or sublimation.
Though most products of the type described above are now used merely by mounting and exposing them in the environment to be treated, it is preferable in certain applications to induce greater distribution of the product than is possible by this technique.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Systems for inducing air currents past products which can be vaporized as a means of assuring greater and more even product distribution are known. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 566,960 (Corris), assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a system having an apparatus which includes a housing, that defines a cartridge receiving chamber, and a fan and a motor for driving the fan mounted in the housing. A cartridge including a mass of product capable of being vaporized and a battery, both mounted with a container, is adapted to be inserted in the cartridge receiving chamber of the housing. The motor is powered by the cartridge battery to drive the fan and thus induce air flow through the cartridge container past the mass of product and out of the apparatus housing.
The configuration of the cartridge used in the Corris system has certain drawbacks. Since the product is in concentrated single mass, usually in gel form, a relatively small surface area of product as a function of its mass is presented to air flow. The cartridge of the present invention is an improvement on the Corris design.
Other systems are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,522,935 (Lewis) discloses an air treatment device which has an oscillating vane that effects a steady current of air over a wick which projects out of the container of liquid deodorant. The vane is propelled by an electromagnet which is periodically energized to repell a permanent magnet linked to the vane.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,820 (Boydjieff) discloses an air perfuming device which includes a motor-driven fan, powered by alternating current, that induces air flow over a sponge which soaks up a perfuming liquid.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,629,149 (Yaffe) and 2,510,126 (Melcher et al.) respectively disclose deodorizing and demothing devices which have motor driven fans, powered by alternating current, for effecting air flow over appropriate products.
However, none of the devices disclosed in the patents mentioned above includes a cartridge which both houses a product that may be vaporized and a source of power for an apparatus that induces air flow past the product. Each includes a power supply and a product container which are mutually independent. Therefore, each has several drawbacks.
Porous materials, which may be impregnated with products that can be vaporized or which carry such products in other ways are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,404 (Nichols) dicloses a process of preparing ultramicroporous gelled cellulose triacetate products which can be used as carriers for liquids such as perfumes to make the liquids available for extended periods of time. U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,655 (Miles) discloses a clear polyamide resin material which contains a perfume oil.